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Posts Tagged ‘A United Kingdom’

Although not one of my favourite writers, Jeremy Warner in the Telegraph wrote an interesting piece on why right now, David Cameron is unlikely to be able to repatriate any significant powers from Brussels on the back of the Treaty Changes that Germany wants in order to support the Euro, a good article and worth a read. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/8910266/The-eurozone-crisis-an-opportunity-for-Britain-Dont-bet-on-it.html

With disaster almost inevitable due to the incomprehensible slowness to comprehend and then total inaction of Eurozone Leaders to meet the challenges, we do indeed live in ‘interesting times’.

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Although it was the “Comments” section of the Daily Telegraph that first got me started in writing my own blog, since the advent of comments being handled by Disqus, I don’t bother with the Telegraph that often these days. They do get an amazing number of people commenting on most articles but apart from one or two, they mainly seem to be a few shillings short of a full £ if not outright bonkers.

However, there was an interesting article by Benedict Brogan on Scottish Independence which is worth a read but has also led me to the Land of Loony Tunes… http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/benedictbrogan/100116330/the-union-is-too-far-gone-to-be-saved-by-cameron-or-miliband

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I have already expressed previously my view that David Cameron and his party managers laying a 3 line whip on this vote was totally foolish and ignoring it would have been far better, I am apparently not alone in this. Mary Ann Sieghart wrote a very good article in the Independent on just the same theme of “Cameron Picks a Fight when he doesn’t need to”, worth a read: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/mary-ann-sieghart/mary-ann-sieghart-cameron-picks-a-fight-when-he-doesnt-need-to-2375093.html

What intrigues me over this most obvious mistake from a normally deft politician is just why he let this happen ? Could it be because he feared speaking the truth at this stage would be counter productive, even dangerous to on-going negotiations ?

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I cannot claim to be any kind of fan of the journalist Yasmin Alibhai Brown who writes in The Independent, she is one of those people like the equally awful Janet Daley in The Telegraph, that I read from time to time instead of wearing a hair shirt or sackcloth and ashes or, as a means of not just “reading the stuff I like”.

However, in reading her (AliBaba) today I was shocked by just how irrational and bigoted a journalist in a broadsheet can be, the woman is a total loon or else, personally envious of Theresa May for some personal reason or other as the start of the article demonstrates only too well, check it out, really sad : http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/yasmin-alibhai-brown/yasmin-alibhaibrown-we-must-defend-these-laws-which-protect-us-all-2368147.html

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The often repeated “common wisdom” concerning the Tories getting booted out of Office in 1997 was that following the ERM débâcle, they had lost their one trump card in the mind of the public even if those people normally voted Labour that the “Tories were good on the economy…”

Personally I never bought into this, Major had a tiny majority and a group of troublesome anti-EU MPs, I suspect that this disunity which made this Country look stupid plus they had been in power for a long time led to people wanting a complete change and a fresh start. A house divided will always fall and myopic politicians constantly riding their hobby horses are never an attractive sight…

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The Euro Crisis has thrown up an amusing spectacle, a British Conservative Government urging the Euro countries to “ever closer union”. On the one hand with so much of UK trade bound up with the Euro Zone, it is obvious that it is not in the UK’s best interests that the Euro should fail and therefore if tighter economic integration of the Euro Zone countries is the “answer” to it not doing so, then so be it.

Perhaps from a UK perspective, we are finally reaching a “tipping point” with regard to our relationship with the EU whereby without too much effort, we in the UK can move on our way quite naturally without having to make a “Big Decision”, like being an island race, many decisions are made for us already, same as if we were a “Continental Country”.

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Obviously with the recent riots, one can expect an awful lot of chair squirming and finger pointing as people try to avoid any blame. Although I can ridicule politicians as easily as the next person, I was delighted with both David Cameron and Ed Miliband albeit for different reasons.

Cameron for avoiding that all too familiar “We will hold a Public Enquiry” so much beloved of all Governments caught out by unexpected events and wanting to kick things into the long grass plus for Miliband him accepting that some degree of blame is attached to the Labour years in Office for the attitudes that seem to have taken root so, well done to both of them.

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There are three stories that I want to connect together or, reflect on in this blog, the Student Riots and Gilmour, The Tottenham Riots and Black People and finally, the Financial Crisis and in my view what ties them altogether is combination of things, a totally unrealistic collection of mindsets, expectations or lack of and the here and now.

If you believe that ideas can change this World, now more than ever newer and better ideas are needed is my view. In one sense and although they are certainly of very different scales, what strikes me strongest about all them is the pettiness and foolishness that encompasses all three, there are no grand themes to be seen in any of them.

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Over the weekend in The Independent, they obviously had a crisis of confidence in the whole “EU Project” which is hilarious, being British always requires the necessity of being at least mildly sceptical, even of those things of which you might approve. In the case of the EU, it has not been anything of which any person of right mind would give unqualified support to. http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-europes-crisis-of-legitimacy-2332710.html

What made it all rather funnier was an article from the one time Minister for Europe, Denis MacShane who fitted the job in between the various ups and downs of his personal life. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/denis-macshane-slash-and-burn-less-brussels-better-europe-2332659.html

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Actually, Prince Philip is not Greek, born in Crete yes but his family was of Danish origins. There was on the BBC a rather splendid programme on his life and times, “The Duke at 90″, well worth watching.

There are not words enough to celebrate this most splendid man on his 90th birthday except to say, a Very Happy Birthday and thanks for great service to Queen and Country. In addition, greatest thanks for never being “politically correct” and having an obvious great sense of humour, you have always been a total tonic for the majority of us, long may you continue to be so otherwise we will be stuck with the mealy mouthed of this world.

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